[dropcap size=big]M[/dropcap]arch 2021 — While an employee from United Site Services (USS)—one of the country’s largest porta-potty and temporary fence distributors—sanitized a portable hand-washing station on the eastern side of MacArthur Park, across from the Metro station, a disappointed man emerged from a filthy porta-potty maintained by the same company a block north.
When he stepped on the foot pump of a plastic sink to clean his hands, all he heard was air running through the line.
None of the three hand-washing stations next to the four almost unusable portable bathrooms had any water, soap, or paper towels.
According to the employee at the previous station, the stations a block north weren’t on his route that day but he assured us someone else would likely get to them. “They are scheduled for pretty much everyday,” he told us.
After spending about 30 minutes cleaning, the employee jumped back into a giant water truck, heading north on Alvarado Boulevard, passing by the trash-littered bathrooms and dry hand-washing stations, presumably on his way to his next stop.